Welcome to Normal
by debilyn
Summary: Over the Limit fan-filler, which begins as the elevator closes on Amanda's "Not this time, buster." It continues into the following morning with bits and pieces of what Lee and Leslie might have been thinking.


**Welcome to Normal**

by debilyn

Disclaimer: "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" is the property of WB and Shoot the Moon Productions. No infringement intended.

Author's Note: This is my little contribution to the "Over the Limit" fan-fillers.

*SMK*

As the elevator doors closed, Lee stalked back to his apartment. Now that Amanda had been dealt with, he needed to smooth things over with Leslie. He didn't feel comfortable with the way Amanda and Leslie had been brought together. He stopped just short of the apartment door. He didn't feel comfortable … why not? Amanda had said she liked Leslie, hadn't she? Leslie had mentioned the three of them getting together sometime. Why should there be a problem with a work colleague and his girlfriend getting to know each other? Wouldn't that be "normal?" Amanda had been after him to be "normal" since they met. Now that he was trying to be "normal," what was the problem? He shook his head. There wasn't a problem. He was just overthinking things. It had been a long day and the euphoria over getting O'Keefe where they wanted him was beginning to fade into being tired at the end of the day.

Lee took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile. But Leslie was nowhere to be seen. She must have gone back into the kitchen to check on the food. He headed in that direction.

"Hello, again," he said as he spotted her leaning over the oven door to check on the meat.

"Lee!" Leslie stood up and smiled. "I was just checking on dinner. It was nice to meet Amanda. She seems like a lovely person. How long have the two of you been working together?"

Lee responded automatically, "Oh, for a couple of years now." He sniffed the air appreciatively and changed the subject. "Mmmm, what's for dinner?"

"See for yourself," she said, as she stood back, allowing him to see into the oven. She also reached over to take the top off the pots on the stove. "Look good?"

"Looks delicious. It's been a long day with only a quick stop at Quickie Chickie's on our way to … Well, to talk to someone about a new contract. All very confidential, of course." Lee smiled. He still wasn't completely comfortable talking about work with Leslie. While he had felt confident in telling Amanda that Leslie "could guess what he did," that didn't mean he was ready to spill the beans. The relationship was still fairly new, and he was hesitant to open up about that part of his life. Too many years of maintaining secrets for reasons of national security still had him cautious, despite the fact that he had become convinced he was ready to give a "normal" relationship a chance. There were so many reasons he'd chosen Leslie for that. He couldn't remember them all at the moment, but he knew they were good ones. He came out of his thoughts when he realized Leslie was waiting for an answer. What had she asked? He took a chance at smoothing it over with, "Sorry, Leslie. Just thought of something I needed to address at the office tomorrow."

"No need to apologize. You and Amanda obviously were in the middle of something when you arrived."

"Just reviewing a few last minute facts before I called Billy."

"She went with you to visit with your – what do you call them – client, subject?"

"Subject works. Yeah, she does that occasionally. You could say she has a way with …" he paused and motioned with his right hand as he tried to come up with the right phrase, "… making people feel comfortable." Lee thought back to a couple of those occasions when someone had opened up to Amanda. The interview with Conrad Barnhill jumped into his thoughts, but he brushed that away. Somehow, that still made him a little uncomfortable.

"I could tell," Leslie responded. "She seems very genuine."

"She is." Lee needed to change the subject. He rubbed his hands together as he said, "So, I know you mentioned you were bored at the hotel. No one need an interpreter today?"

"No. I've had a quiet day." She paused as they walked out of the kitchen. She wanted to know more about Lee, but wasn't sure how to find out except by asking questions directly; and he always seemed hesitant to answer. They'd been out a few times now, and she still felt like he was holding back. Maybe talking about Amanda would loosen him up. "I get the feeling that you and Amanda are friends, as well as colleagues. What's she like?"

_Why all these questions about Amanda? Is she jealous_? Lee thought. He considered the best way to answer. "Amanda is a divorced mother of two boys. Her mother lives with them to help out. She's always volunteering for something at school, helping the boys with projects and such. She does a good job, gives helpful suggestions." He chuckled a bit, "She can come up with things in the most roundabout way, sometimes. Once she used the story of one of the boys' misbehaviors to make some point, I forget now. She's always pushing me to eat breakfast. Do this, do that. She's a good mother." Lee paused. "Look, uh, Leslie, Amanda is a good friend, but there's nothing more than that."

Leslie smiled. "I wasn't implying there was, Lee. I just wanted to know what she was like." She paused, then added, "I really would like us to have dinner with her sometime. It would be a nice way to find out more about you." She paused, "And speaking of dinner. Thank you so much for the lovely dress you had delivered. It was very sweet of you. Why don't I try it on while dinner is finishing up?"

Lee smiled. "I'd like that. I'll just pour the wine, shall I?"

As Leslie headed into the bedroom, Lee reached to pick up the wine from the table and read the label. He was glad she liked the dress. He was sure it would look lovely on her, just like he'd told Amanda earlier. Amanda. He hoped she'd gone home like he asked. She had a knack… He forced himself to put her out of his thoughts as he opened the wine and began to pour it into the glasses. If O'Keefe called, he'd… If he called. Lee sighed. He spoke so Leslie could hear in the other room. "Uh, Leslie, I might have to go back in to work this evening. I'm expecting a phone call from the man we met with today, so…"

"I'm sure we can salvage something of our evening, if need be." Leslie called.

He smiled to himself. Hmmm. If she looked as good in that dress as … "Amanda," he heard himself say. He winced. Did he just say that out loud? _Bad move, Scarecrow._

"Amanda is very nice, and you're very lucky to have her." Leslie said as she entered the room and moved to show off the dress.

Lee couldn't respond, but tried to play things out as best as he could. "Leslie, I, uh …." Maybe things would be better if he just went with what came naturally. He led her to the couch. She did look nice, he thought. He was leaning over to kiss her when the phone rang.

***SMK***SMK***SMK***

Lee cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Leslie. It seems duty calls."

"I hate our evening's been interrupted, but it was my pager last time, cheri. I'll just finish dinner and wait around a bit," She replied as he got up and headed toward the door.

He stopped and turned as he opened the door. "It may take a while. These things sometimes do."

She smiled. "I'll put everything away if you're too long. You'll at least be able to warm it up later. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a call while I'm waiting. Go ahead. Do whatever you need to do and hurry back."

He smiled as he walked out. "Thanks for dinner. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Au revoir, cheri." She smiled and blew him a kiss as he headed toward the elevator. As she locked the door behind her, she realized that the door must have been open when Lee and Amanda arrived earlier. She remembered how nervous she had been and wondered why the doorman hadn't locked it on his way out. She remembered the look he'd given her as he unlocked the door for her. Almost as if…. She smiled and shook her head. Lee was such a handsome man, he'd probably had his share of girlfriends. Women seemed to flock around him wherever they went, yet he seemed almost embarrassed by the attention at times.

As she walked to the kitchen to check on dinner, she remembered meeting him at that Embassy party. It had been such a boring evening and she'd literally run into him as she left the powder room trying to sneak away before the ambassador's wife had cornered her again. He'd been so sweet when he asked if she was okay. She remembered the feel of his hand on her arm when she'd stammered an apology. "That's alright. A lovely lady running into my arms is a nice way to end an evening," he's said as he smiled. Oh, my. That smile. It made her feel like she was the only one in the room and could still make her heart skip a beat whenever it appeared.

She remembered him asking for the last dance, and his offer to take her home. He'd even walked her to the hotel room door and opened it for her. She'd been bowled over by his good looks and charm. She had worried a little bit that he was the playboy type. Still, she'd been excited when he asked her out for the following evening, and it had been a wonderful night – dinner and dancing. The next time she'd been in town was several days later, and he'd brought her to his apartment for dinner. She'd been surprised when he'd waited until he'd taken her back to her hotel before he kissed her. She'd been expecting more, but he'd left after opening her door and saying goodnight. She was beginning to think he might be looking for a serious relationship, and she was definitely willing to explore one with him. She took a deep breath and realized that dinner was done. She turned everything down on low and looked at the clock, then she walked into the living room and turned on the TV. She took off her shoes and tucked her feet under her. She might as well make herself comfortable while she waited.

***SMK***SMK***SMK***

Lee phoned Francine when he reached the lobby. She agreed to meet him at the agency, saying, "You can brief me there after I change into Amanda." She signed off with a chuckle.

_Change into Amanda. Oh, Francine, you will __never__ be able to do that._ Lee thought. _Amanda is one of a kind._ She really was "very special," as he'd told Leslie. He winced again as he thought about saying Amanda's name out loud. He still needed to smooth that over, but wasn't sure how. He ran his fingers through his hair and placed his hand back on the steering wheel. Maybe it would be best to forget it and not bring it up again. He'd planned on making tomorrow night a special evening. He'd bought the dress with that in mind. Now that he'd seen it on Leslie … well, she'd looked nice, but that was all. Just nice. Not as beautiful as Amanda had looked at New Years', with her sparkling eyes and dazzling smile. She'd been having such a good time that night. It was one of the rare times they'd been anywhere like that without having to work. He smiled as he thought about what a great evening it had been. Even Francine had relaxed and enjoyed herself. Of course, getting to dance with that prince had been a highlight for her. He remembered laughing with Amanda over some of Francine's flirtatious behavior with several of the dignitaries.

Amanda wasn't a bad flirt herself, he thought. He chuckled as he recalled how she had practiced what she was going to say to get into Trans-Oceanic. She'd done it, too. He was proud of how well she had picked up on his cues when he entered O'Keefe's office. She was definitely something. Sometimes, he just wanted to … wanted to … What, exactly? Amanda was a good friend. That's all, right? He was dating Leslie, anyway. And, right now he needed to focus on what Francine needed to know before they drove to Trans-Oceanic Industries. He forced himself to plan out strategy as he continued his drive.

***SMK***SMK***SMK***

Leslie sat down at the table with her plate. She'd been waiting for quite a while now and was hungry. She'd eat, put away what was left, and leave Lee a nice note on her way out. She'd had such high hopes for the evening – a meal, the dress, maybe a slow dance alone in the apartment, maybe a little more than that. She'd literally planned to let her hair down for Lee this evening. He was sooo handsome and such a gentleman, too. He opened doors, he held her hand when crossing the street, he had that gentle touch on her back as he guided her through doors. The evenings they'd spent together had been great. There had been that night her pager cut things short, yet even then, he'd taken her to the Embassy and offered to wait. She knew the negotiations would take time, so she'd sent him home with a promise to call if she wasn't too late. If they continued the relationship, were they destined to spend the occasional evening interrupted with a page or phone call?

Speaking of phone calls, that one had been a bit cryptic. "No. No girl." What did that mean? What girl? Amanda? She certainly wasn't a girl. "I come alone." That sounded almost like something from a spy movie or cop show. Leslie thought over the evening again. Something seemed a little … different. Lee had seemed different. She realized he'd been tense or uneasy, almost like he was waiting for something. She closed her eyes as she remembered "Amanda …." She wasn't sure what he'd been going to say, but now she wondered if he was going to say something else about Amanda or had accidentally called her Amanda. She'd brushed it off since they'd just been discussing her, but now, looking back, she wondered. She thought back over her conversation with Amanda. She couldn't think of any reason for the suspicion that had just hit, and yet …. She finished her dinner, still pondering the phone call, the meeting, and the botched evening.

***SMK***SMK***SMK***

Lee was lying on the couch in Billy's office waiting for the debrief to be over. He'd left the door open if someone needed to find him, but he'd desperately needed somewhere to crash for a bit. He was feeling a little disconcerted and wasn't sure why. It was probably just the fact that he hadn't been sleeping well lately. He still couldn't believe that "midnight rambler" dig from Francine – when was that, yesterday, a couple days ago? That was a little low, even for her. Then again, she tended to be more aggressive when Amanda was around. Amanda. There he went again, dragging Amanda into his thoughts. He couldn't seem to get her out of them lately. Everything seemed to go back to Amanda. He shook his head and slowly sat up as he heard someone enter the bullpen.

"Really, Amanda, I'm actually glad you showed up, and if you tell anyone I said that, I'll have to kill you." Francine said.

"Understood, Francine. I'm just glad I could help. I really don't like guns, you know. That was just a lucky shot," Amanda replied.

"Well, lucky or not, it served its purpose. Listen, if you need help on the shooting range, I'd be glad to give you a few pointers."

"Oh, I think I … well, it would probably make me more nervous with you there … with anyone there, I mean."

"Well, just think about your boys and what you would do if some goon was holding them. You'd use a gun then, if you had to."

"You're probably right, Francine. I'll try to do just that, if … when … when I have to go back to the shooting range." There was a pause before she added, "I guess I can go home now?"

"Yeah, I think we're all done for the night. Know where Lee went? Billy wants to review everything with him once more before this gets typed up in the morning. Seems he's feeling the pressure of getting paperwork done more quickly lately."

"Poor Mr. Melrose." Another pause. "I'm not sure where Lee went. He looked like he needed some sleep."

"I'll see if he's crashed on Billy's couch, then. That's not a bad place to catch a few Z's. See you tomorrow, Amanda," Francine said as she headed toward Billy's office.

"Bye, Francine." Amanda called on her way out of the bullpen to the elevator.

Lee stood as Francine came through the door.

"Lee, are you… oh, here you are. Billy needs you to …"

"I heard." Lee interrupted. "I need to go review everything."

"Boy, Amanda's right. You do look like you need some sleep. Too much excitement for you?"

"Button it, Francine. Insomnia, remember?"

Francine smirked just a bit as she replied, "Riggghht. Insomnia. Does insomnia have a name?"

"In-som-ni-a. Now, excuse me while I go find Billy."

"Ooh, touch-y. You know, you really are a grouch when you're tired."

"Thanks, Francine. I'll try to remember that." With that parting comment, Lee was out of the door and down the hall. There were times when Francine really pushed it too far. He used his frustration with Francine as the energy push he needed to get this review over. He was ready for a hot shower and bed. He couldn't wait to get home. Home. Leslie. Oh, man, he hoped she'd gone home by now. He really didn't have the energy to deal with her. Deal with her? He shook his head and opened the door in front of him.

"Hey, Billy. Francine said you needed me …"

***SMK***SMK***SMK***

Lee opened the door to his apartment and cautiously entered and looked around. No one was here. As he collapsed on the couch, he saw the note on the end table. He picked it up to read:

_Lee, Supper's in the fridge. Sorry our evening was cut short. I look forward to tomorrow. Leslie._

Leslie didn't appear to have left angry, if this note was anything to go by. Still … he looked at the note once more. The Embassy dinner with Leslie. He was too tired to think anymore. He was just glad he didn't have to explain anything. He was glad Amanda had gone home. He closed his eyes on that thought. Not Amanda. Leslie. Leslie had cooked dinner, Leslie had gone home after an interrupted evening. He really was exhausted. The case was solved, and Elizabeth Sullivan was free. Amanda should be satisfied. He stopped as that thought hit him. There it was. Amanda, again. Why did she keep coming up? Amanda and spring cleaning, Amanda and the dress, Amanda this, Amanda that. She seemed to invade his thoughts on a regular basis. He got up and headed to the shower.

As he stepped into the shower, he tried again to close his thoughts off. He needed sleep, not another night of dealing with Amanda intruding into his dreams. Since when did he dream about Amanda in that way, anyway? She was his friend, a very good friend. Okay, his best friend, if he had to admit it. He shook his head. He didn't know another soul like her. She was fiercely loyal, caring, and stubborn at times. He smiled. Stubborn. Without her stubbornness to interfere in this case, would it have been solved so quickly? She continuously astonished him with her insights and actions. Her instincts were becoming a force to reckon with and they had already been surprisingly good, though he hadn't been willing to admit it at first.

_I just aimed for the broad side of the barn and hoped for the best._ He laughed aloud as he remembered her comment. Oh, he wasn't laughing at the time. She could've gotten hurt or killed. He didn't know what he would have done if something had happened to her. As he stepped out of the shower and dried off, he realized that life would be very different without Amanda in it. He thought back to the day at the train station, two years ago.

_Scarecrow, I think we finally found you a partner._ He shook his head as he thought about Billy's words at the end of that first case. _Were you playing one of your hunches, Billy, or did you say that as a joke?_ Well, she was his partner now and she just wouldn't stay put. First, she invaded his work space – she wouldn't stay in the car. Then, she invaded his personal space – she wouldn't quit bugging him about "normal people." Well, now he was attempting "normal," and she was invading again – into his love life, where she had no right to be.

As he lay down, he thought back to the Embassy dinner where he met Leslie. She'd literally run into him. He was struck by how lovely she looked, though she hadn't been "dressed to impress." Oh, she wasn't a dowd by any means, but she looked very comfortable in that setting. She wasn't trying to make an impression, she didn't immediately flirt to get his attention the way so many women did. He'd asked her to dance and enjoyed the brief moments they'd spent together. He didn't regret asking her out at the end of the evening. No, he decided she was just the kind of woman he would enjoy getting to know. He would take it more slowly than he had in the past. He was starting to realize that he wanted a different type of relationship now. He wanted something special, something that might eventually become permanent. He thought Leslie might be that, or at least a stepping stone to that. He had to start somewhere, didn't he? He'd enjoyed their phone conversations, their quiet evenings. But now … he couldn't figure out what had changed.

He leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes. When he picked Leslie up tomorrow, he would be in his tux and she would be in the dress he bought for her. As he drifted off to sleep, he pictured them dancing with her head on his shoulder. Everything seemed so natural, so right. He eased his hand down her back and noticed that the dress seemed different somehow. She raised her head to look up at him and he leaned down to kiss … His eyes flew open and he sat up in bed. Amanda! He rubbed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair as he sighed. After a moment, he pounded his pillow and lay back down. He finally admitted to himself that while Leslie had looked nice, Amanda had been beautiful. He and Amanda were partners, friends. He shouldn't be thinking about Amanda like this. But, he was. There was no way he could go to the Embassy dinner with Leslie in that dress now. He'd just have to make up some excuse. Leslie was scheduled to leave the following day, so he wouldn't have to face her before she left. He'd call Leslie and cancel. That decision made, his body began to relax. He forced himself to focus on the case to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything in the report as he drifted back to sleep.

*** SMK***SMK***SMK***

"I'm sorry about cancelling, Leslie, but we really need to get this report done. It looks to be a long day getting all the details right before the contract can be signed."

"Well, I was looking forward to this evening, but it does sound like this is important."

"Yeah, we're too close not to wrap it up today."

"I see." Leslie paused, then asked, "Amanda's couldn't handle that for you? I mean, as your secretary, can't she handle things like that?"

"She could, but, uh, this is a very – delicate – situation. I need to handle it personally." He paused and his voice softened. "Look, you go ahead and enjoy the evening. I'll be in touch."

Leslie sighed as she replied. "Okay, cheri, but don't forget. I've got an early flight tomorrow."

"I remember. I'll give you a call tomorrow night around the time you should arrive."

"I'll miss you, but I'll look forward to your call. Au revoir."

"Bye, Leslie." Lee took a deep breath as he hung up the phone. He hoped that didn't sound as final to her as it did to him. After finally getting a good night's sleep, he was beginning to see things a little clearer. That dream about Leslie and the dress had opened his eyes to something he'd been denying for some time. Maybe an evening with Amanda – with no shop talk – would help clarify what he was feeling. It couldn't hurt, right? They were friends, after all. And couldn't friends have dinner with no shop talk once in a while? Steak and potatoes at a nice restaurant. Yes, that should do nicely.

Having settled that in his mind, Lee left the apartment to meet Amanda. They had to make a final review of that report, then they were going to visit the Sullivans. He'd just seen a report on the news about that new legislation which might help "Save the Bay" do just that. Afterward, if Amanda wasn't busy, they could enjoy dinner. He stepped into the elevator feeling rested, relaxed, and happy. Today was shaping up to be a good day.


End file.
